Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Mecca

For one person, living costs are similar in Cebu and in Mecca: $918 and $936 a month, rent and utilities included.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
Learn more

Cebu Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Mecca
Learn more

Mecca Living Index

Jump to prices

Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Mecca

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Mecca

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cebu and in Mecca actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $936 in Mecca.

Cebu $918
Mecca $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,453 in Mecca.

Cebu $1,409
Mecca $1,453

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,970 in Mecca.

Cebu $1,900
Mecca $1,970

Living in Cebu costs roughly 2% less than in Mecca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Mecca 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$4.57 SAR 17.14

-32.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$26.89 SAR 101

-9.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$7.07 SAR 26.52

-44.55%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.55 SAR 5.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 SAR 5.61

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$2.61 SAR 9.79

-3.83%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₱100

$0.67 SAR 2.51

137.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.23 SAR 0.86

130.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$1.75 SAR 6.57

9.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$1.03 SAR 3.85

32.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$2.11 SAR 7.91

-52.13%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$2.52 SAR 9.46

-19.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$5.92 SAR 22.20

66.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$8.08 SAR 30.33

-45.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$12.95 SAR 48.59

-41.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$2.09 SAR 7.84

57.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$1.58 SAR 5.94

-12.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.61 SAR 6.05

44.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$1.47 SAR 5.52

2.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$1.12 SAR 4.21

110.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$1.30 SAR 4.87

46.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$1.05 SAR 3.94

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.50 SAR 1.86

26.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$4.06 SAR 15.24

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 SAR 6.95

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 SAR 5.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$6.81 SAR 25.56

-55.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$1.34 SAR 5.03

-81.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$2.43 SAR 9.11

-68.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.75 SAR 6.57

-86.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$13.15 SAR 49.33

-66.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.63 SAR 2.38

107.94%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$47.5K SAR 178.2K

-55.26%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

-9.37%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$120 ₱7,569

$66.9 SAR 251

79.82%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.00 ₱882

$35.35 SAR 133

-60.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$63.2 SAR 237

-56.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$80.7 SAR 303

-59.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$42.52 SAR 160

-84.36%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$11.96 SAR 44.88

-52.76%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$275 ₱17.3K

$775 SAR 2,907

-64.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$16.2K SAR 60.8K

-51.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$13.57 SAR 50.9

263.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$56.9 SAR 214

-55.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$39.67 SAR 149

94.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$53.3 SAR 200

7.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$533 SAR 2,001

-6.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$290 SAR 1,088

6.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$830 SAR 3,114

29.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$523 SAR 1,963

17.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$6,375 SAR 23.9K

-54.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$2,298 SAR 8,624

-16.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$1,083 SAR 4,063

-68.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

5.25

37.14%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mecca: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Mecca

$290 31% 6.1% $19

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Mecca

$193 20.6% 6.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Mecca

$165 17.7% 2.2% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Mecca

$74 7.9% 21.7% $20

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Mecca

$93 9.9% 5% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Mecca

$105 11.2% 140% $61

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Mecca

$17 * 1.8% 6.3% $1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $533 in Mecca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mecca pays 213% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $27.00 in Mecca. Groceries flip the comparison at $206 vs $193, with Mecca cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇸🇦 Mecca

🕒 Local time

13:20 1:20 PM

08:20 8:20 AM

5 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

1,675,368

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cebu Mecca 8,990 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Mecca

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cebu vs Mecca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and utilities. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 213% lower in Mecca. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $533 in Mecca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mecca pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $936 in Mecca – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $918 in Cebu versus $936 in Mecca, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Mecca. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mecca, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Mecca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Mecca. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.